Tag Archives: China

President Xi Jinping vowed Tuesday to push ahead with China’s “reform and opening up” but warned that no one can “dictate” what it does, as the Communist Party celebrated the policy’s 40th anniversary. While he pledged to press forward with the economic reforms initiated under late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping in December 1978, Xi indicated that there would be no change to the one-party system. “The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics,” he said.

WASHINGTON/OTTAWA (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday said China should free two Canadian citizens who were detained this week after authorities in Canada arrested a senior Chinese technology executive on a U.S. extradition warrant. Pompeo’s comments were the first by a senior U.S. official on the arrests, which Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said could escalate a growing trade conflict between China and the United States.

“It’s our expectation that they do act tactfully in a way that enables Canadian prosperity, and in our sector, that means trading with China,’’ Brian Innes, president of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, said by phone Thursday. Two Canadian nationals have been detained in China this week, days after the arrest in Vancouver of a Huawei Technologies Co. executive, part of a U.S. extradition request. Canada’s government is facing a new level of pressure related to trade tension between China and the U.S., and shouldn’t add to any “political theater,” Innes said.

The former Canadian diplomat who has written about some of the touchiest geopolitical issues in the world, including China’s expanding military footprint in Africa and the North Korea nuclear crisis, is now at the center of a stand-off between two global super-powers. Kovrig was detained by China’s spy agency during a visit to Beijing on Monday, just nine days after Canadian authorities, acting on a U.S. request, arrested a top Huawei Technologies Co. executive in Vancouver. The Chinese government confirmed Kovrig has been detained, according to a Canadian government official briefing reporters Wednesday evening in Ottawa.

Pichai has been under pressure from politicians, activists and staff to stop building a censored search engine for China. Late on Monday, a coalition of human rights groups asked Google to commit to not working with the Chinese government on censorship and surveillance.

Donald Trump has vowed to intervene in the case of a Huawei executive facing fraud charges in the US if it would help to secure a trade deal with China. The American president said he would step in “if I think it’s good for the country”, after Meng Wanzhou’s arrest sparked fury in Beijing. Ms Meng, the chief financial officer of the Chinese telecoms giant, was bailed by a Canadian court on Tuesday but could still be extradited to the US on fraud charges.

A former Canadian diplomat has been arrested in China, amid tensions over the recent detention of a Chinese telecom executive in Vancouver. "We have been in direct contact with the Chinese diplomats and representatives," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. "We are engaged with the file (case), which we take very seriously." Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale on Tuesday confirmed the detention of Michael Kovrig. "We're deeply concerned," he said. "A Canadian is obviously in difficulty in China. We are sparing no effort to do everything we possibly can to look after his safety." The International Crisis Group said on Tuesday it was aware of reports that Mr Kovrig, its North East Asia senior adviser, had been detained. The Brussels-based non-governmental organisation said in a statement that it's doing everything possible to obtain additional information about Mr Kovrig's whereabouts and that it will work to ensure his prompt release. The Globe and Mail in Toronto and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported the arrest, citing unnamed sources. Reports of Mr Kovrig's detention come after China warned Canada of consequences for its December 1 arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver's airport. It's unclear if there's any link between the cases. Ms Meng was detained over US allegations she misled banks about Huawei' s control of a firm operating in Iran. Yesterday (Tues), the Washington Post reported that the US government is to take action against China over hacking and economic espionage,using sanctions and indictments. The report could not immediately be confirmed. The International Crisis Group said Mr Kovrig has been one of its full-time experts since February 2017. The organisation's website says Kovrig previously worked as a Canadian diplomat in Beijing and Hong Kong and at the United Nations. Canada's Global Affairs department didn't immediately respond with comment. Former Canadian Liberal leader Bob Rae said it's clear why he's been detained. "It's called repression and retaliation," Mr Rae tweeted.

TORONTO (AP) — A former Canadian diplomat has been detained while visiting Beijing amid a dispute between the two counties over Canada's arrest of a Chinese executive at the request of the United States.

A Canadian former diplomat has been detained in China, the think tank where he now works said Tuesday, amid Beijing’s outrage over the arrest of a senior technology executive. The International Crisis Group said it was aware of reports of the detention of Michael Kovrig, a Chinese-speaking expert who served as a Canadian diplomat in Beijing, Hong Kong and at the United Nations. Kovrig went to work last year for the International Crisis Group, which is known for its research on peaceful solutions to global conflicts.